They followed the orders of the district administration and happily dismantled their old homes a year ago. In the hope of building better homes from ground zero, some 36 residents of Dagapela lost their homes. And even today, they are waiting for the National Land Commission to provide them with the land ownership certificate. His Majesty The King granted land ownership to 36 plot owners in 2017.
Except for the outgrown bushes, not a brick has been laid in about an acre of the land. People are ready to start the construction works, but they don’t have the necessary approval from the concerned authority.
The dzongkhag administration’s promise to initiate new town development works at the earliest has been hard to swallow for the residents.
And while they wait for land ownership certificates, their temporary shed is far from reassuring.
According to the residents, the temporary sheds are becoming unstable by the day.
“There are dangers of wind blowing away the structures anytime. We would be grateful if we get land ownership certificates at the earliest,” said Krishna Bir Bal, a resident at the temporary settlement.
Likewise, another resident Nado said providing accommodation to guests is another issue.
“We don’t have a proper place to stay and it is embarrassing while we have guests,” he said.
The number of shops is also increasing, testing the limited facilities there. From 36 in the beginning, the temporary town has 45 businesses.
People are also complaining of the limited basic amenities such as drinking water and electricity connection. With the traffic also getting congested by the day, they said it might lead to an accident one day.
Today, the residents pay Nu 800 a month for a plot.
However, it might not be long before they could start their dream project. As per the district engineer, the land ownership certificates are ready. They will provide the construction approval after the Local Government election.
Pema Tshewang, Dagana
Edited by Chayku
